HistoryExtra Long Reads
HistoryExtra Long Reads delivers in-depth articles from Britain's bestselling history magazine, HistoryExtra. Each weekly episode features a long-form article written by leading historians, covering topics from Georgian scandals to World War I and beyond. The podcast provides a deep dive into various historical periods and events, drawing on expert research and analysis.
Episodes
Bloody queens and hairdresser kings: Lucy Worsley rethinks Britain's monarchs
If Lucy Worsley has learned one thing in her 30 years as a historian, it’s that what we think we know about Britain’s kings and queens is often wrong. In today's Long Read, the historian, writer and broadcaster looks again at five royals whose reputations have been transformed – or are long overdue a makeover.
Today's feature originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine,
Storm warnings: five weather moments that altered history
Recent film Pressure dramatises the attempts of meteorologists to predict the weather on D-Day – and in this Long Read written by Catherine Ross, we chart five moments when weather forecasts (or the lack of them) changed the course of history.
Today's feature originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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Ale, terror and a martyr’s death: what not to miss on the Bayeux Tapestry
David Musgrove and Michael Lewis offer the essential spotter's guide to the iconic medieval embroidery
Heading to the British Museum to see the Bayeux Tapestry for yourself? This Long Read, written by David Musgrove and Michael Lewis, reveals the 10 things you simply must do when experiencing the world’s most famous embroidery in all its glory.
Today's feature originally appeared in the October
The Spitfire: love at first flight?
It’s been hailed as the plane that won the Battle of Britain – but does the Spitfire deserve its all-conquering reputation? Ninety years after this nimble fighter took its maiden flight, this Long Read written by Hattie Hearn explores how it became a national icon.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the
A beginner’s guide to medieval farming
From famine to fines, the life of the medieval farmer was often far from straightforward. In this Long Read, Christopher Dyer offers six tips for those seeking success in running a smallholding in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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History repeating?
It’s human nature to believe that history repeats itself – but might our instinct to look for echoes of the past in the present be misguided, and even dangerous? This Long Read, written by Robert Blackmore, explores why such comparisons can be deceptive.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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The Magdalene laundries: Ireland’s secret shame
In Ireland, many thousands condemned as ‘fallen women’ were detained indefinitely in Magdalene laundries, forced to toil in harsh conditions. This Long Read written by Louise Brangan – author of The Fallen – reveals how church and state colluded to cast a shroud of silence over traumas inflicted behind closed doors in the 20th century.
Today's feature originally appeared in the August 2026 issue
The troubled birth of England
The collapse of Roman rule in Britain, followed by the emergence of kingdoms established by Germanic tribes, marks one of the most turbulent periods in Britain’s history. But what factors drove this dramatic transformation? This Long Read written by Nick Higham chronicles the rise of the Anglo-Saxons.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has bee
Cultural dreams v political nightmares: life in interwar Weimar
In the 1920s and 1930s, Weimar was rife with contradictions, embracing both utopian modernism and Nazism. This German town’s interwar story reveals how democratic dreams can die in the face of economic ills and polarising politics, as this Long Read written by Katja Hoyer explains...
Today's feature originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partne
Athens v Sparta: a Greek tragedy
In 480 BC, Athens and Sparta joined forces to repel one of the greatest invasion forces the world had seen. Yet just a few decades later, they faced off against each other – with dire results for the people of Greece. This Long Read written by Adrian Goldsworthy reveals how these great cities, once allies, became deadly foes.
Today's feature originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of HistoryEx
Sex, secrecy and social ambition: inside a Georgian masquerade
Ever wondered what it was like to step into a world where a mask could loosen the rules of rank, reputation and restraint? This Long Read written by Meghan Kobza takes us inside the 18th-century masquerade, where sex, wealth and power collided with the urge to make a splash in high society – often with scandalous results...
Today's feature originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of HistoryExtr
Marilyn Monroe: the brains behind the bombshell
Lucy Bolton reveals how the star became a cultural icon not just through her glamorous image, but through fierce ambition, talent and relentless hard work
The heart-shaped face. The iridescent blonde hair. And who can forget that billowing white dress? Image was key to Marilyn Monroe’s meteoric rise but, as this Long Read written by Lucy Bolton explains on the star’s centenary, her success was on
How the Black Death devastated the Muslim world
The Black Death is infamous for ravaging the population of Europe – yet it was most lethal in the Muslim world, leaving such a trail of devastation that bodies were abandoned to rot in the streets. This Long Read written by Thomas Asbridge investigates why plague took such a heavy toll in the Near East...
Today's feature originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has
The secret history behind the Odyssey
Featuring Cyclopes, Lotus-Eaters and goddesses that turn men into pigs, the Odyssey reads like a fantastical adventure story. Yet, argues this Long Read written by Daisy Dunn, Homer’s epic poem – now a Hollywood blockbuster – offers a fascinating lens onto the reality of life in Bronze Age Greece.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been
"War minus the shooting": football during the Cold War
What happens when football becomes far more than a game? As the 2026 World Cup unfolds, this Long Read written by Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall revisits four matches played during the Cold War that turned the beautiful game into a battleground of ideology, identity and state power.
Today's feature originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnersh
Georgian Britain's most curious hoax
The Enlightenment was an era of open-eyed progress, of the advance of science and reason – right? So why, in the 18th and early 19th centuries, did British people continue to be hoodwinked? This Long Read written by Madeleine Pelling exposes eight frauds and forgeries from a golden age of hoaxes.
Today's feature originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voic
US at 250: the hard road to independence
The US Declaration of Independence was formally adopted on one famous day in July 1776. Yet this celebrated event was the product of years of misunderstandings and escalating tensions. On the 250th anniversary of the birth of a nation, this Long Read written by George Goodwin traces the evolution of one of the most consequential documents in history.
Today's feature originally appeared in the Jul
Elizabeth II: the great survivor
When Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952, she could barely have conceived the currents – imperial retreat, multiculturalism, deindustrialisation – that would transform the nation during her reign. This Long Read, written by David Cannadine, explores how she navigated seven decades of dizzying change.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has
The seven deadly sins: a medieval self-help guide
Today, we think of the seven deadly sins as outdated definitions of moral flaws prohibited by the church. But as this Long Read written by Peter Jones reveals, these vices were originally conceived to provide medieval solutions to universal human problems.
Today's feature originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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Lost stories from Pompeii
The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 buried Pompeii and its citizens beneath pumice, stone and ash for centuries. But, as this Long Read written by Jess Venner reveals, we can now reconstruct the lives of its citizens before the catastrophe.
Today's feature originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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Nell Gwyn: England's mistress
Nell Gwyn became famous for her love affair with Charles II, and for her love of drinking, gambling and carousing. Yet, as this Long Read written by Sophie Shorland explores, this upwardly mobile celebrity was also a canny political operator who wielded substantial power in court.
Today's feature originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partners
The Asante gold: a tale of blood and plunder
It’s a tale of slavery, racism and naked imperial power. This Long Read written by Barnaby Phillips traces the fate of the exquisite golden treasures looted by British forces from the kingdom of Asante 150 years ago.
Today's feature originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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How medieval mothers took back control
In the Middle Ages, the bearing and raising of children defined women’s lives. But, as this Long Read written by Elinor Cleghorn explains, there were women who had other ideas and boldly challenged attitudes towards motherhood.
Today's feature originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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Rome's people power
From Romulus’s open-city policy to Claudius’s reforms, citizenship was used by Rome as both a reward and a weapon. As this Long Read written by Shushma Malik explains, it enabled the burgeoning empire to build power and define identity.
Today's feature originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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The 'Iron Curtain' speech: why Churchill poked the Russian bear
It’s 80 years since the war victor and ex-prime minister Winston Churchill delivered his ‘Iron Curtain’ speech, sounding the alarm for a perilous new age. The speech, given as tensions with Stalin soared, is among the most famous in modern history. Yet, asks this Long Read written by Richard Toye, has it been misunderstood?
Today's feature originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of HistoryExt
Anne Boleyn’s image problem
Dark or brunette? Fair or swarthy? A paragon of beauty or a refined charmer? Our picture of Henry VIII’s ill-fated second queen has become distorted over five centuries – but new research by Owen Emmerson and others comes closer to revealing her true appearance. This Long Read, written by Owen, explains more.Today's feature originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and
Mob rule: the rise of the mafia
The 20th century was a golden age for organised crime groups. This Long Read written by Ryan Gingeras reveals how gangs from the Sicilian Mafia to Mexico’s cartels capitalised on political chaos, economic upheaval and mass migration to spread their tentacles around the world.
Today's feature originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership w
What Shakespearean food reveals about early modern England
Shakespeare and his peers served up hearty helpings of diverse dishes and ingredients – many of them spiced with forgotten meanings. This Long Read written by Sam Bilton reveals how food allusions illustrate five key themes of everyday life.Today's feature originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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A Victorian murder mystery
By 1889, Jack the Ripper's grisly murders had sparked terror throughout London. So when the mutilated body of a woman was found beneath railway arches near the Thames, a coded alert was dispatched to warn metropolitan police divisions: "Another Whitechapel." But her killer wasn't Jack. Following her recent BBC Two series, this Long Read, written by Lucy Worsley, investigates the horrifying crimes
How empires end
How do civilisations collapse? That was the question at the heart of Edward Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Two hundred and fifty years after it was published, this Long Read, written by Guy de la Bédoyère, argues that Gibbon's magnum opus remains a landmark in the writing of history.
Today's feature originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of HistoryExtra
Why Britain turned its back on the goose step
Extremism was on the march across continental Europe in the 1920s and 1930s – yet Britons chose a different, more moderate path. This Long Read, written by Alwyn Turner, explores why Britain largely tuned out the strongman theatrics and held to a more moderate course.
Today's feature originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with t
1066: not just the Norman Conquest
1066 is synonymous with the battle of Hastings. Yet while Duke William of Normandy was launching his conquest of England, the rest of Europe had its own crises to contend with. This Long Read written by Charles West takes us on a tour of the continent during this dramatic year.
Today's feature originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partner
Medieval England’s terror of the living dead
At the turn of the 12th century, two men from a Staffordshire village died suddenly. Their lifeless bodies were taken to the local graveyard and solemnly laid to rest – but a few days later, they were apparently spotted walking around the village, with their coffins on their backs. This Long Read written by John Blair investigates the medieval terror of the living dead.
Today's feature original
How the SAS reinvented itself after WW2
Britain’s War Office thanked the SAS for its remarkable efforts in WW2 by abolishing it – yet soon realised the error of its ways. This Long Read written by Gavin Mortimer tells the story of how the elite unit reinvented itself to confront the challenges of the postwar world.
Today's feature originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnersh
How the Vikings menaced the Mediterranean
Killing, burning, pillaging, enslaving. Even when heading to sunnier climes, Viking raiders deployed the same tactics that they had used along the shores of northern and western Europe, as this Long Read written by Thomas Williams reveals.
Today's feature originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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Victorian murders most female
Women accused of violent murders have often faced assumptions about their motives and disbelief that the ‘gentle sex’ could commit such bloody crimes. This Long Read written by Rosalind Crone investigates four such cases from the 19th century.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from HistoryExtra Magazine, the new name for BBC History Magazine. Today’s feature originally appear
The bizarre beginnings of the Winter Olympics
Boxing and football? In a Winter Olympics? In October? Held in 1908, the first ever Winter Games was an experimental affair – but, according to this Long Read written by Martin Polley, it was one that sowed the seeds for future and snowier competitions.
Today's feature originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of HistoryExtra Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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Air raids and arias: Britain's WW2 operatic obsession
As the conflict with Nazi Germany raged on, British tram drivers tuned in to Tchaikovsky and waitresses revelled in Wagner. But why? This Long Read written by Alexandra Wilson explores the surprising Second World War obsession with opera.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from HistoryExtra Magazine, the new name for BBC History Magazine. Today’s feature originally appeared in
How many Bayeux Tapestries were there?
David Musgrove investigates whether the iconic embroidery was simply one of many
A new theory, put forward by Professor John Blair, questions whether the world-famous embroidery was unique. In this Long Read, David Musgrove asks the experts whether there could have more than one ‘Bayeux Tapestry’.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has
Julius Caesar: he came, he saw, he crucified pirates...?
Ancient accounts of Julius Caesar’s early life depict an all-action hero who outwitted tyrants and terrorised bandits. But can they be trusted? This Long Read written by David S Potter investigates...
Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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Margaret Beaufort: schemer or opportunist?
Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, is often characterised as a domineering woman who plotted her son’s rise to the throne. But how true is that depiction? This Long Read, written by Lauren Johnson, explores the life of the founding matriarch of the Tudor dynasty.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership w
How Spain became a democracy
Spain's transition from dictatorship to democracy in the late 1970s surely counts as one of modern Europe’s most remarkable stories. On the 50th anniversary of General Franco’s death, this Long Read written by Paul Preston explores how pluralism arose from the ashes of tyranny.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voiced in partner
Beyond Jane Austen
Jane Austen was a brilliant observer of Georgian Britain – but she couldn’t speak for everyone. The author’s books depict an evocative slice of early 19th-century life, but many aspects of the Regency era are only hinted at in her novels, as this Long Read written by Lizzie Rogers reveals.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voic
Santa Claus vs Father Christmas
The true identity of the white-bearded, red-robed figure who fills children’s stockings at Christmas has long been debated. This Long Read written by Thomas Ruys Smith sizes up the merry contenders.
Today’s feature originally appeared in the Christmas 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine, and has been voiced in partnership with the RNIB.
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WW2's U-boat war: a theatre of hate?
Did German U-boats conduct a ‘clean’ campaign during the Second World War? Or were they guilty of routinely murdering survivors in the water? In this Long Read, written by Roger Moorhouse, we weigh up the evidence.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2025 issue, and has been voic
Doctor, doctor: remarkable medieval medical cures
What did medieval physicians prescribe for stomach ache? Could weasels’ testicles really help you conceive? In this Long Read. written by James Freeman, we delve into the sources to find eight curious cures from the Middle Ages.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the November 2025 issue, and
Spectral beasts and hounds from hell
From infernal black dogs attacking churches to ravening, red-eyed brutes on remote roads, Britain has long been haunted by fearsome canine phantoms. This Long Read, written by Karen R Jones, explores what these stories can tell us about societies past.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the
The slippery truth of the Dreyfus Affair
The wrongful conviction for treason of a Jewish army captain in France in the late 19th century exposed antisemitism and virulent nationalism – and also, as this Long Read written by Mike Rapport reveals, sparked a flood of fake news that presaged the worst of the modern media landscape.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s
1066: who was the rightful king?
Which of four main contenders for the English throne in 1066 had the strongest claim? Was it the Anglo-Saxon strongman, the Norman duke, the ‘Thunderbolt of the North’ or a callow teenager? This Long Read, written by Caitlin Ellis, sizes up the rivals...
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in th
Carthage: the making of Rome's monster
In the second century BC, Roman troops razed the city of Carthage and obliterated its civilisation. So why, asks this Long Read written by Eve MacDonald, did the victors remain obsessed by their conquered foes for the next 200 years?
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2025 issue,
Treachery, deceit and the death of the Tudor dynasty
Did James I 'steal' Elizabeth I's crown? This Long Read, written by Tracy Borman, considers evidence that the transition from Tudor to Stuart dynasties may not have been quite as seamless as we've been led to believe.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2025 issue, and has been vo
The Assassins: a reign of terror
In the 12th century, a sect of killers spread fear across the Middle East, executing a series of high-profile political murders. This Long Read, written by Steve Tibble, introduces the original Assassins.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the October 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partn
Victoria's secret love affair
There have long been whispers of a romance between Queen Victoria and her Scottish servant John Brown, but nothing concrete to support them. This Long Read – written by historian Dr Fern Riddell, author of an explosive new book on the subject – reveals how she turned sleuth to track down evidence of their secret passion.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Maga
Æthelstan: England's colossus
The rise of Æthelstan was as important a moment in English history as 1066 and Magna Carta. On the 1,100th anniversary of his coronation, this Long Read, written by David Woodman, salutes a king who forged a nation.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the September 2025 issue, and has been vo
Hiroshima's atomic plague
In the wake of the nuclear attacks on Japan, the official Allied line was that radiation sickness was not a danger. Yet, as this Long Read written by Steve O'Hagan reveals, the first Western journalist to witness the effects on the people of Hiroshima told a very different story.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature
The sinister secrets of Samuel Pepys
His diaries are revered for their kaleidoscopic evocation of Restoration England. Yet a fresh analysis of Pepys’ world-famous journals – carried out by Guy de la Bédoyère – reveals a man with a proclivity for coercion and sexual violence. This Long Read written by Guy explores this dark side to the famous diarist.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, d
Horses: medieval war machines
From William the Conqueror’s battle-winning cavalry to Richard III’s fatal final charge, this Long Read written by Oliver H Creighton and Robert Liddiard explores five moments when horsepower changed the course of medieval military history.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the August 2025
Victorian boxing sensations
From unholy fights in the most sacred of spaces to downing glasses of sherry for breakfast, this Long Read written by Sarah Elizabeth Cox introduces the pugilists who punched their way into Britons’ affections during the dying days of bare-knuckle prize-fighting.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appea
Mary of Modena: a queen in the eye of a storm
She was an Italian Catholic in a ferociously anti-papist English court. An aspiring nun in a hotbed of hedonism. In this Long Read written by historian Breeze Barrington, we follow the extraordinary trials and tribulations of James II & VII’s second wife, Maria of Modena.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature origina
Art deco: designs for life
In the interwar era, artists and designers embraced a sleek modern style that embodied the optimism and elegance of the age. On the centenary of the Paris expo that launched Art Deco on the international stage, this Long Read written by historian Emma Bastin explores its origins and impacts.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Tod
Elizabeth I's forbidden love
In 1579, Queen Elizabeth I embarked on a romance with a French duke she affectionately dubbed her “frog”. The pair seemed destined for marriage. Yet, writes historian Elizabeth Tunstall in this Long Read, the people of England had other ideas…
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the July 2025
Swings and roundabouts: a history of British playgrounds
We all have childhood memories of playgrounds. But what can the evolution of outdoor play in Britain tell us about the experience of being young over the past 200 years? This Long Read, written by historian Jon Winder, serves up a history of sandpits, bombsites and battles with cars.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s fea
Julius Caesar's funeral drama
The assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC drove tensions sky-high in ancient Rome. As this Long Read written by historian Jessica Clarke reveals, plays staged at his funeral were carefully chosen to inflame anger and incite revenge on his killers.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the Jul
Live Aid at 40
When Bob Geldof exhorted audiences to fill Wembley Stadium and empty their pockets for famine relief in Ethiopia, he changed the face of charity fundraising – and of live music. Forty years on, this Long Read written by David Hepworth – one of the BBC presenters on the day – explores the legacy of Live Aid.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct t
Inside the Luftwaffe during the battle of Britain
When the Battle of Britain erupted, many Luftwaffe pilots anticipated a swift victory. Yet soon that confidence had been replaced by chronic fatigue and a crippling fear of drowning in “dirty water”. This Long Read written by aviation historian Victoria Taylor charts the mental disintegration of Hitler’s flyers.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, dir
Spiked drinks, counterfeit coins and the lodgers from hell
Drugging, fraud, even murder – women couldn’t really commit such heinous crimes, could they? Written by historian Rosalind Crone, this Long Read explores five audacious female-led felonies from the 18th and 19th centuries which bust misconceptions about women's lives in the past.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature
The Ambassadors: painting on the precipice
Hans Holbein’s masterwork The Ambassadors is an exquisite portrait of two 16th-century diplomats. But, as well as being artistically impressive, the painting is also crammed with symbols and hidden messages. This Long Read written by historian Tracy Borman deciphers the clues hidden in Holbein's work that betray the turbulence of a fateful year.
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The women who shaped Malcolm X
Malcolm X became one of the most influential leaders in the US civil rights movement – thanks largely, explains this Long Read written by historian Ashley D Farmer, to the women who shaped his life and ideas.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the June 2025 issue, and has been voiced in part
Spartacus: Rome's worst nightmare
When the Spartacus revolt erupted in 73 BC, it exposed a terrifying truth: that the cocksure Roman Republic was nowhere near as invincible as it liked to believe. This Long Read written by historian Guy de la Bédoyère takes up the story.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the June 2025 issue
Scotland's season of the witch
In 16th and 17th-century Scotland, many hundreds of ‘witches’ were put to death – 10 times the proportion executed in England. This Long Read written by Martha McGill asks what drove the killings.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the May 2025 issue, and has been voiced in partnership with
Why the Great Famine devastated Ireland
When blight began devastating potato crops across Ireland in 1845, British officials immediately recognised the dangers. And yet, within six years, the Great Famine had caused the deaths of at least 1 million people. This Long Read written by Padraic X Scanlan tells the story of how tangled Anglo-Irish relations and a profound devotion to market forces turned a crisis into a national catastrophe.
Why the ancient Egyptians worshipped wine
For the ancient Egyptians, wine played a pivotal part in mythology, ritual and the natural processes that enabled their survival. This Long Read written by Islam Issa explores six key roles it fulfilled in their society over the millennia.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the May 2025 issu
Matchless monsters: female murderers in early modern Britain
Men committed the majority of violent crimes in Tudor and Stuart England. But when women murdered, the press had a field day. This Long Read, written by author and historian Blessin Adams, asks what drove society’s gleeful fascination with its “angels of death”.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appear
Richard III's remains: how science identified the king in the car park
When the remains of Richard III were rediscovered under a car park, Turi King led the verification team that worked on the skeleton – proving with 99.999% certainty that it was indeed that of the long-lost medieval king. As 2025 sees in the 10th anniversary of Richard’s reburial service, this Long Read written by King reflects on how science finally cracked this 500-year-old cold case.
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Josephine Baker: dancer, activist, spy
Today she’s widely remembered as a risqué entertainer – yet she was also involved in many of the earth-shaking events of her era. As 2025 sees the 50th anniversary of Josephine Baker’s death, this Long Read written by Anna Maria Barry tells the story of a 20th-century icon.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature origi
Was Charles I a tyrant?
The reviled king was condemned to death as a “Tyrant, Traitor, Murderer and Public Enemy”. But, as 2025 marks the 400th anniversary of his accession, how fair does that judgment seem today? This Long Read, written by Jonathan Healey, offers his verdict...
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in t
VE Day: was it really one big party?
It’s been 80 years since Britons heard the news that the war in Europe was over. But how did those who lived through VE Day remember the moment? With the help of the BBC WW2 People’s War archive, this Long Read written by John Willis reveals a day of partying, remembrance and continuing sacrifice.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ear
Dangerous delights: Victorian Britain's cocaine habit
In the 19th century, a magic new drug took the medical community by storm, riding a wave of scientific endeavour. But, as this Long Read written by historian Douglas Small reveals, it wasn’t long before the dark side of this miraculous substance began to emerge.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared
Mercia: the lost kingdom
Battered by the Vikings, outshone by King Alfred, Mercia has long been painted as the also-ran of the Anglo-Saxon world. Yet, as this Long Read written by Max Adams considers, this mighty Midlands kingdom was at the very heart of the emergence of England.
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. Today’s feature originally appeared in the
Did Ronald Reagan 'make America great again'?
This year has seen Donald Trump retake the US presidency, repeating his vow to ‘make America great again’. But he’s not the first to wield such a slogan, as this Long Read written by Phil Tinline explores. Back in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan stood for election with the same promise. Did he deliver?
HistoryExtra Long Reads brings you the best articles from BBC History Magazine, direct to your ears. T
